Love is sweeter the second time around chapter 25
by dementedducky
Summary: Just shaking things up a bit had this planned for a while :) WARNING: lots of naughty words


*The next day and everyone is doing last minute packing before they head off to the airport.*

"Daddy where's my bear?"

"Dad have you seen my coat?"

"Bren, do you have all the tickets?"

"Steven, you got everything?"

They all talk over each other, rushing around the house finding lost items and sorting everything.

"Have the kids had their travel sickness tablets Steven?"

"No, I'll do it in a sec"

"Don't worry I've got it" he says giving Leah and Lucas some travel sickness tablets.

"Do we _have_ to go home? I'd much rather live here"

"but what about mummy?"

"Oh.. She can move here too"

"Sorry sweetie but we have jobs to get back to and you and Lucas have school and nursery. Just think you can tell all your friends about the holiday when you go back to school"

"Can we go to the beach? Just quickly coz I want to take a shell home"

Brendan consults his watch. "Very quickly" They check out of the hotel and run down to the beach where the kids root through the tonnes of shells.

"Nope. No. nah uh!" Leah says throwing shells over her shoulder

"Don't be too long Leah" Ste calls to her "We need to get to the airport"

"But I can't find any I like. I want to give one to mummy"

"But we already have that necklace" Ste says referring to a silver heart locket that they bought her a few days ago.

"I know but I like shells and I know mum will too"

Ste has a little rummage. "How about this pink one? It looks like a heart"

"I love it! Now one for me"

"Pick any shell quickly or we'll have to go without any shells"

Leah sighs and picks up and handful of shells and chucks them into her bag along with a fistful of sand.

Ste rolls his eyes and Lucas chucks in a load of shells too. He takes the kids by the hand and they head to the airport.

*Brendan drives everyone home as he left his car in the long term car park. It's late now and both kids are fast asleep. Brendan and Ste scoop up a few light bags and the kids and they carry them into the house. The lights are off and everything seems normal except that the house is incredibly cold*

"Go flick the heater on Steven" Brendan says as he flicks the light on. As the room lights up they see a mysterious figure sitting in the middle of the sofa.

"I heard you'd be back today Brady"

"Jason! What the fuck are you doing in my house?" Brendan spits vehemently as he hands Leah over to Ste. "Take the kids to bed to Steven"

Ste does as he's told, his whole body shaking with fear.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing" he says with a sadistic smirk "He's a pretty one is that Steven."

"What the fuck do yis want?"

"I want what's rightfully mine! My dad left me that 250K in his will but then he changed it to you then he died days later…coincidence?"

"No, he was a desperately ill man, Jason. If you spent less time in and out the nick and more time with him you would've known that!"

"And who's fault is it I was constantly in jail?"

"Yours"

"BULLSHIT! You killed Tommy, you battered him and left him to die and I took the wrap for it then you killed my father while I was rotting away in jail."

Ste's eyes widen and he feels sick "Is this true?" He whispers

"I…no…Maybe" Brendan says sighing and running his hands through his hair. "I only did it because of what he did to Luke, he was gonna kill him Ste. He had him blindfolded with a shot gun near his head. I was in the kitchen and he was tied up under the stairs so I punched him, Jason started kicking him repeatedly and I said he should stop but he carried on and I left. I couldn't do anything to stop him"

"But if you only hit him once then you didn't kill him?"

"Exactly, Steven. I just meant to hurt him but Jason too kit too far"

"and Jason's dad?" Ste says with tears overflowing from his eyes.

"No. I swear to yis Steven, I never killed him. He was dying of cancer and he asked me to put him out of his misery. He was in agony but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Not after Tommy. What killed him was finding out his son went to jail for murder"

"BOLLOCKS!" Jason yelled, startling Ste

"He died from a heart attack when the police told him what happened. He literally died broken hearted and that was all your fault Jason. Your dad was like a dad to me too and he saw me as a son, he basically raised me and our Cheryl since we were 14."

"You were like a brother to me Brendan, why did you let me rot in jail?"

"Because you took it too far. I told you I wanted him hurt I didn't say to kill him"

"I thought I was doing you a favour man. Now give me what's mine and I'll leave you alone"

"You ain't getting a penny from me" Brendan says

"Well, well, well, Steven's a pretty thing isn't he? Be a shame if anything happened to him and those kids of his"

Brendan sees red and pins Jason against the wall "Don't you EVER fucking threaten my family again alright?" He says slamming him into the wall. "You're not getting any money and you're not going anywhere near my family." he yells as he throws him through the door.

"This isn't the last you've seen of me Brady!" He says as Brendan slams the door on him.

Ste's crying on the sofa and Brendan pulls him in close. "hey, hey, it's ok. He's gone and I'm never letting him hurt you or the kids"

"You promise me you didn't kill Jason's dad or Tommy?"

"No, look I told you, Jason's dad had a heart attack when he found out his son was in prison and I only hit Tommy once. It was Jason who went on kicking and hitting. I tried to stop him but I couldn't. It was me that anonymously rung the police and ambulance"

"Please, do whatever it takes to keep me and the kids safe Brendan"

"I always will"

"and we better not tell Amy about this or she'll take the kids off me for good"

"I won't let that happen" Brendan says rocking Ste back and forth


End file.
